LA Live: BMW M3 CS

Just 550 examples of the CS will be sold in America.

Enthusiasts who missed the opportunity to buy a limited-edition BMW M4 CS are in luck. The German brand has applied the same treatment to the four-door M3.

The first-ever BMW M3 CS is a track-inspired, carbon fiber-festooned sports car for the whole family. It's built around an evolution of the standard M3's twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter straight-six engine tuned to 453 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. The six is bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission, and it breathes through a sports exhaust system made by M.

The CS takes 3.7 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop, meaning it's 0.2 seconds faster than the non-CS model. Its top speed checks in at 174 mph.

Like the M4, the M3 CS receives a long list of carbon fiber add-ons including the hood, the roof panel, the rear spoiler, and the diffuser integrated into the rear bumper. BMW points out the use of composite materials makes the CS 110 pounds lighter than a standard M3 while lowering its center of gravity.

The diet extends to the interior, where BMW added lightweight sport seats. This isn't a stripped-out track car, however. There's no roll cage, and the five passengers benefit from amenities like Alcantara, leather, automatic climate control, and a Harman Kardon surround sound system.

BMW's American dealers will begin taking orders for the M3 CS in May of next year. We suggest you act fast; production is limited to 1,200 units worldwide, and only 550 will disembark on our shores. Pricing hasn't been announced yet.